Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend.

1837. VICTORIA (17) is the object of a royal power struggle. Her uncle, KING WILLIAM, is dying and Victoria is in line for the throne. Everyone is vying to win her favor. However Victoria is kept from the court by her overbearing mother, THE DUCHESS OF KENT, and her ambitious advisor, CONROY. Victoria hates them both. Her only friend is her doting governess, LEHZEN, but she is smothering and over-protective.Victoria’s handsome cousin, ALBERT is invited to visit by her mother. He’s also the nephew of her Uncle, KING LEOPOLD OF BELGIUM. It’s obvious that Albert has been coached to win her hand. At first she’s annoyed as she has no intention of being married. She never wants to be controlled again. However Albert is also tired of being manipulated by his relatives. Victoria and Albert talk openly and sincerely and become friends. When he returns home she grants him permission to write to her. King Leopold is delighted and pushes Albert to woo her. Albert refuses because he knows she’s not ready and he won’t return to London until she invites him. Leopold reluctantly waits.As her life proceeds, Victoria learns both the art of political necessity and  love.

Join The State Cinema Club Tuesday, March 9, for the Orson Welles restored version of the cult favorite, Touch of Evil.  Welles wrote, directed and co-starred in this astonishing and visually brilliant 1958  crime drama, one of the last examples of film noir in the genre’s classic era (the early ‘40s until the late ‘50s).  The screenplay was loosely based on the novel Badge of Evil by Whit Masterson. The dark-themed drama about a corrupt cop co-stars Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich (as a fortune-telling madam), Joseph Calleia (a cop) and Dennis Weaver as a nervous motel night manager. The film's claustrophobic world is a grim border town Welles' fat, wheezy detective Hank Quinlan runs up against Ramon Miguel “Mike” Vargas (Heston), a Mexican official investigating drug trafficking. Welles uses every trick in his cinematic book to manipulate the lurid tone as his seedy but somehow compellingly human Quinlan frames a Mexican kid for the car-bombing deaths of a millionaire and his racy blonde companion.You can get this film on video, but Welles plays best when he’s larger than life – on the big screen, the way he was meant to be seen! 

Be sure and stay for the discussion following the film led by film professors and industry insiders.

Admission is $7 for non- Cinema Club members.

Local musicians and poets will come together for one spectacular night of acoustic music, poetry and a special surprise performance that will leave your mind spinning. This event is a team effort to raise awareness and funding for the hunger needs that are ever present and growing rapidly in our own community. The money raised will support a campaign and lobby effort at the capitol for California Hunger Action Coalition’s annual “Hunger Action Day!” in May. We will join hundreds of anti-hunger advocates in Sacramento to make Your Voice heard.

So JOIN US for two and a half hour of talent and advocacy – and make Your Voice heard during a concert campaign against hunger.

For more information on Hunger Action Day go to www.hungeraction.net

General admission tickets are $15.

Join sponsor Mary Mother of God Mission Society* starting Sunday, March 14 for the film, The Passion of The Christ- Recut, a film that has become a family Easter tradition. Edited and recut from its original release for sensitive audiences, the film is the first in the six-month series of Catholic feature-length films shown on each second Sunday at 2 p.m., starting in March. Make Sunday a family day!

* The purpose of the Mary Mother of God Mission Society is to bring spiritual and material support to the Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Joseph, Irkutsk and the Far East of Russia. For information about the society or sponsoring the film series contact the Mother Mary of God Mission Society office at 209-408-0728 or go to www.vladmission.org.

The films series titles are:

March 14: The Passion of The Christ- Recut

April 11: Padre Pio – Miracle Man

May 9:  Maria Goretti, based on the life of the 12-year-old martyr and Left To Tell, the true story of faith, hope and the power of the rosary by Immaculi Illibagiza.

June 13: Joseph of Nazareth, the story of the man closest to God.

July 11: Father of Mercy. The inspiring vocation of Venerable Fr. Carlo Gnoochi

August-December: Titles to be announced

Doors at 1:30 p.m.; film at 2 p.m.

Admission: $6 in advance or $7 at the door

After almost 50 years of marriage and 13 children, the life of Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary, is turned upside down. Her husband, Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), the great Russian novelist, has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family in favor of poverty, vegetarianism and even celibacy. When Sofya discovers that Tolstoy’s trusted disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), may have convinced her husband to sign a new will, leaving the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his family, she is outraged. Using every trick of seduction in her considerable arsenal, she fights fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers. The more extreme her behavior becomes, however, the more easily Chertkov is able to persuade Tolstoy of the damage she will do to his glorious legacy. A tale of two romances, one beginning, one near its end, The Last Station is a complex, funny, rich and emotional story about the difficulty of living with love -- and the impossibility of living without it. Written and directed by James McAvoy, The Last Station was the official selection of the 2009 Telluride Film Festival.

www.sonyclassics.com/thelaststation/

Tickets are $9 or $7 for matinees.

Attention fly fishing enthusiasts: The 2010 Fly Fishing Film Tour is returning to The State, courtesy of the Stanislaus Fly Fishers (http://www.flyfishingfilmtour.com/blog/ffft/). The film was produced by Drake Magazine (www.flyfishingfilmtour.com). Proceeds will again benefit “Rivers of Recovery” (www.riversofrecovery.org ) a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving the lives of disabled American War Veterans. Rivers of Recovery provides scholarships for post traumatic stress and other disabled Veterans to enjoy the productive and rehabilitative nature of two days of guided fly fishing on the Green River in Utah. Last year 11 local veterans participated in this trip as a result of funds raised at the 2009 film tour. A scholarship for one Veteran’s trip costs an estimated $1600. Any donations will directly benefit our local veterans as the cost of the theatre and film have been completely underwritten. 

Raffle tickets will be available for $20 each in advance at Sierra Anglers Fly Shop (www.sierraanglers.com) or at the show. Items include a Sage Z-Axis fly rod donated by Sierra Angler’s Fly Shop and a bamboo fly rod constructed by the late Veteran Jack Gilihan and donated by his Veteran nephew Robin Lowe. Check the Stanislaus Fly Fishers web site for a list of further items to be added. Winners will be announced at the end of the film (need not be present to win!). Donations towards scholarships may be mailed to Rivers of Recovery c/o Law Offices of Mayol & Barringer P.O. Box 3049 Modesto, CA 95353 or brought to the theatre the night of the show. 

Tickets for the film are $12 in advance or $15 at the door and may be purchased at www.thestate.org, the State Theatre box office, or at Sierra Anglers Fly Shop ($15).

Doors at 5:30 p.m. for a reception and raffle ticket sales

Introduction and film at 6:15 p.m.

Is there anyone on the planet, young or old, who hasn’t heard of Journey, much less of guitarist Neal Schon?  We didn’t think so, that’s why we’re bringing Schon to The State for one rocking night of seriously soulful guitar licks and a playlist that includes some of his work from Journey, the group he still heads up today. Schon, a prodigy at 17, was asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos, but went on tour with Carlos Santana instead (reportedly, Santana called him first). In 1973, he formed Journey and the rest is history: five solo albums, 14 studio albums with Journey, a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar and more recently a side project – Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto. Let’s face it, the guy is a legend! Need we say more?  

http://www.schonmusic.com/

Doors at 7 p.m.; concert at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $25, $35, $45

It’s been two decades since the Indigo Girls launched their career with their independently released debut album, Strange Fire. Now, after entertaining millions of fans with their 10 major-label studio albums (nine on Epic Records and one, 2006’s Despite Our Differences, on Hollywood Records), Emily Saliers and Amy Ray have come full circle with the independent release of their new 2-CD album, Poseidon And The Bitter Bug, on their new label IG Recordings, distributed through Vanguard Records.
The new album reunites the Grammy-winning duo with veteran producer, arranger and keyboardist Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Los Lobos and others), who worked on the Indigo Girls’ acclaimed 2006 release, Despite Our Differences. Longtime bassist Clare Kenny, drummer Matt Chamberlin and engineer David Boucher make up the rest of the core band but the sound is pure Indigo Girls, with uplifting, effortless harmonies; honest, passionately involved lyrics and infectious melodies.
With a Grammy, six Grammy nominations and a legacy of releases and tours behind them, the Indigo Girls have outlasted many of their peers and forged their own way in the music business. They’ve always thought independently, and have always balanced their commitment to music and performing with an unwavering commitment to social, political and environmental issues – Ray and Saliers don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk. In 1991, Ray and Saliers co-founded the non-profit organization Honor the Earth to raise awareness and financial support for indigenous environmental justice, and over the years they have supported groups fighting for women’s rights, civil rights for same-sex couples, and the abolition of the death penalty as well as voter registration.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; Concert at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $43 & $53.

The State Theatre proudly welcomes the San Joaquin Film Society's 2ND ANNUAL FRENCH CINEMA DAYS to Modesto. This illuminating program, part of the Film Society's year-round World Cinema Series, is a fascinating rendezvous with new, celebrated and award-winning works from France. Featuring: the 2010 New French Shorts program with short films from emerging and seasoned artists making international and American premieres; a special screening of Philippe Lioret's 10-time French Academy Award-nominated drama "Welcome"; the spotlight film presentation of "The Girl On The Train,” a captivating drama from master director André Téchiné; and the honorable presence of talented French writer-director, Cédric Prévost, our guest artist who is flying in from Paris to join us for the festivities! For more information: http://www.sjiff.org/fcd10

From master French film director and screenwriter, André Téchiné, and an Official Selection of the London International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival: "Based on a play by Jean-Marie Besset, "The Girl on a Train" is inspired by one of the most media-blitzed and polarizing events in recent French history: a young woman’s lie about being the victim of an anti-Semitic attack on a Paris suburban train. Jobless, soul-searching and rollerblading Jeanne (Rosetta’s Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Winner Emilie Dequenne,) lives in a Paris suburb with her widowed mother Louise, (Catherine Deneuve,) who makes a living as a baby-sitter. Louise helps her daughter get a job with her old flame Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc, Monsieur Hire, Grosse Fatigue), now a famous lawyer and Jewish activist. When Jeanne’s budding relationship with aspiring wrestler Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle) is shattered by a violent turn of events, Jeanne and Bleistein’s opposite worlds get set on a collision course, as the film becomes a complex psychological drama raising issues of race, religion and identity." Join us for the Valley Premiere of this captivating cinematic experience!

In French with English subtitles; digital.

$9.50 regular adult admission (no discount for matinee on this)

$8.50 for students with a valid student ID and seniors

$7.50 for San Joaquin Film Society members

The State Theatre proudly welcomes the San Joaquin Film Society's 2ND ANNUAL FRENCH CINEMA DAYS to Modesto. This illuminating program, part of the Film Society's year-round World Cinema Series, is a fascinating rendezvous with new, celebrated and award-winning works from France. Featuring: the 2010 New French Shorts program with short films from emerging and seasoned artists making international and American premieres; a special screening of Philippe Lioret's 10-time French Academy Award-nominated drama "Welcome"; the spotlight film presentation of "The Girl On The Train,” a captivating drama from master director André Téchiné; and the honorable presence of talented French writer-director, Cédric Prévost, our guest artist who is flying in from Paris to join us for the festivities! For more information: http://www.sjiff.org/fcd10

Directed by Philippe Lioret. An unforgettable film that received 10 nominations at the 2009 César Awards (French Academy Awards) and starring Vincent Lindon and Firat Ayverdi. Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the last three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend, who recently emigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped by authorities in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Left with no other alternative, he decides to swim across. Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train, where he meets Simon, a middle-aged swimming instructor in turmoil over his imminent divorce. Simon agrees to help Bilal, hoping to win back the affection of his wife, who does volunteer work helping immigrants. But what begins as a relationship based on self-interest develops into something much bigger than Simon could ever have imagined, as he too will ultimately risk everything to reach happiness.

In French, Kurdish and English, with English subtitles; digital.

$9.50 regular adult admission (no discount for matinee on this)

$8.50 for students with a valid student ID and seniors

$7.50 for San Joaquin Film Society members

The State Theatre proudly welcomes the San Joaquin Film Society's 2ND ANNUAL FRENCH CINEMA DAYS to Modesto. This illuminating program, part of the Film Society's year-round World Cinema Series, is a fascinating rendezvous with new, celebrated and award-winning works from France. Featuring: the 2010 New French Shorts program with short films from emerging and seasoned artists making international and American premieres; a special screening of Philippe Lioret's 10-time French Academy Award-nominated drama "Welcome"; the spotlight film presentation of "The Girl On The Train,” a captivating drama from master director André Téchiné; and the honorable presence of talented French writer-director, Cédric Prévost, our guest artist who is flying in from Paris to join us for the festivities! For more information: http://www.sjiff.org/fcd10

Curated by Sophoan Sorn exclusively for the San Joaquin Film Society's 2nd Annual French Cinema Days: A rare and riveting collection featuring new short-length films from emerging and seasoned artists, making international and American premieres. Featuring "Hymen," the latest work from French Cinema Day 2010 guest artist, Cédric Prévost. For more information on the other films playing in this short films program visit http://www.sjiff.org/fcd10/f-shorts.html

French with English subtitles; digital.

$9.50 regular adult admission (no discount for matinee on this)

$8.50 for students with a valid student ID and seniors

$7.50 for San Joaquin Film Society members

One thousand years ago, Dr. Parnassus made a deal with the devil to gain immortality.  However, only days away from his deal coming due, he is desperate to find a way to save his beloved 16-year-old daughter, Valentina, from becoming the property of “Mr. Nick.”  Part morality play and part metaphysical allegory, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus comes straight from the imagination of Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Time Bandits, Twelve Monkeys). Co-written by Charles McKeown, the film has a back story unlike any other and it lives up to a dialog line that serves as its motto: “This world we live in is full of enchantment for those with the eyes to see it.” From the film’s opening images of an ancient and ramshackle horse-drawn wagon slowly moving through modern London, it builds to a fevered pitch as people enter Dr. Parnassus’ magic mirror allowing them to experience another dimension of their own minds.  At the heart of it all, whether people choose for good or evil, is the eternal battle with the devil for the spirit of man.  Dr. Parnassus, a letter-perfect Christopher Plummer, goes up against a fiendish Mr. Nick, played with panache by Tom Waits. Joining Dr. Parnassus’ travelling show is Tony (Heath Ledger). Ledger's tragic death during production was smoothly papered over by Gilliam; in the "real" world, Tony is always Ledger, but inside the Imaginarium, he's played by, alternately, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Nothing is neat and tidy in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus and, as the film itself advises, "Don't worry if you don't understand it all immediately."

Tickets are $9 or $7 for matinees.